STAR World focuses on live international content

The channel wants to be a default platform for advertisers to reach out to high-value customers

STAR World is set to launch American & #BANNER1 & # Idol 4, the US show, which has inspired Indian Idol. The programme will be aired live on the channel from January 19.

While the channel has telecast earlier versions of this popular show, what's different this time is Indian viewers can watch this programme live along with their US counterparts.

While the programme will be telecast at 6.30 am on Wednesdays and Thursdays; the repeats will happen on the same days at 8 pm.

Ajay Vidyasagar, senior vice-president, marketing and communication, says, "Our focus is to bring the best of international television on STAR World. In the past, we have seen the Indian premieres of Hollywood films coinciding with the US and Asian launches. We want to implement the same for television programming."

It will be interesting to see how the STAR World viewers take to the American Idol show after the popularity of Indian Idol on Sony.

Some other new shows to debut on STAR World are 'Parkinson' and 'Outback Jack'. While Parkinson is a legendary interview show featuring some of the world's biggest stars from music, film, sports and politics, Outback Jack is a reality series set in Australia, as 12 women vie for the addictions of a rugged Australian adventurer.

The channel will also telecast The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards and the 46th Annual Grammy Awards live with repeat telecast during prime time on the same day.

Vidyasagar says, "Usually, these programmes are telecast on Indian television three-four weeks after the event. But this is for the first time, an event of such stature is being telecast live and the Indian viewer will get to watch it on the same day. And as a matter of fact, we are incurring huge costs to telecast these programmes live."

STAR World will also telecast The BAFTA Awards - The British Oscars, instituted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - on February 20.

Commenting on the viewership for these shows, "This programmes and events are big ticket items in the US. And, high-value affluent Indian viewers, who make frequent visits to the US and Europe, have a liking for these shows. Earlier, they used to buy DVDs of these shows. But now, we can invite them to STAR World."

He further said, "There has been absolutely no television for the high-value affluent customers. This segment might be a micro-section of total Indian audience but STAR World wants to be a default platform for the advertisers to reach out to these high value customers."

But isn't STAR World trying to broadbase its viewership with content such as 'India's Child Genius' and 'Koffee With Karan'? Vidyasagar says, "These shows are the Indian offering to the same set of viewers. However, because of the inherent nature of shows such as Koffee With Karan, a spill-over is bound to happen to other SECs. Even in the FMCG sector, there are some high-end products, which are essentially targeted for the SEC A+, but also cater to SEC B, because of their quality."

Overall, Vidyasagar says, STAR World has had a very great year. The ad sales revenue growth for STAR World from fiscal 2004 to 2005 has been 200 per cent.

In the last one year, the channel has seen different product categories such as educational institutes coming on board apart from the FMCG and high-end products.